MONSTERS OF ROCK

Skid Row - I Remember You (Wembley Stadium 1991)

Deserted island ... & you can only have one.

Judas Priest - Live Aid (Philly 1985)

On this day in 1981, Venom release ‘Welcome To Hell.’ Venom's original personnel came from three different bands: Guillotine, Oberon and Dwarfstar. After numerous lineup and name changes the band, now a five-piece consisting of Clive Archer, Alan Winston, Conrad Lant, Jeffrey Dunn, and Tony Bray settled on the name Venom, after a suggestion by the band's roadie.

Metallica 'Fade to Black' (Vienna 2018)

On this day in 1953, Bruce Kulick of KISS, Union and Grand Funk Railroad is born in Brooklyn, NY. Kulick joined KISS in September 1984 as lead guitarist, replacing Mark St. John, who left the band after being diagnosed with reactive arthritis. Kulick never wore onstage makeup, since the band had stopped wearing it in 1983. Kulick and St. John are the only two members of Kiss never to have worn makeup in the band. He stayed with Kiss until 1996. Kulick played on five Kiss st...udio albums: Asylum (1985), Crazy Nights (1987), Hot in the Shade (1989), Revenge (1992) and Carnival of Souls: The Final Sessions (1997); he also appeared on Alive III and KISS Unplugged. The song "I Walk Alone", from Carnival of Souls: The Final Sessions, is the only Kiss track to feature Kulick as lead vocalist. To this day, Kulick is featured on more than twenty Kiss releases. See more

On this day in 1979, Motorhead release ‘Bomber.’ By 1979, Motörhead had been together for four years and had amassed a loyal following in both punk and heavy metal circles. After recording an album for United Artists that the label shelved, the band released its eponymous debut LP in 1977, but it was with 1979's Overkill that the band hit their stride. The title track landed in the UK Top 40 and, after appearing again on Top of the Pops, the band returned to the studio that summer with legendary producer Jimmy Miller to record what would become Bomber.

On this day in 1967, Scott Weiland of Stone Temple Pilots is born Scott Richard Kline in San Jose, California.

On this day in 2013, Lou Reed of The Velvet Underground dies of liver disease in Southampton, New York, at age 71.

On this day in 1951, Kenneth "K.K." Downing of Judas Priest is born in West Bromwich, England. Downing has an aggressive, rock-influenced guitar style featuring solos and dual leads with fellow Judas Priest guitarist Glenn Tipton. His solos remained of this style for most of his career, but he incorporated various techniques into his playing over the years. As opposed to Tipton, his solos tended to incorporate a more raw, rough-edged sound, making use of techniques such as pinch harmonics, dive bombs, and tremolo picking, and often focusing on speed, technical accuracy and melody.

On this day in 1970, Black Sabbath begin their first US tour.

Van Halen 'Unchained' (1981)

On this day in 1978, Van Halen release Ain’t Talkin’ ’Bout Love. When Eddie Van Halen wrote the song, he did not consider it good enough to show his bandmates until a year later. He said it was supposed to be a punk rock parody, "a stupid thing to us, just two chords. It didn't end up sounding punk, but that was the intention." The guitar solo was doubled in overdubs with an electric sitar.

On this day in 1970, Led Zeppelin's LP ‘Led Zeppelin III’ hits #1 on the charts. While hard rock influences were still present, such as on "Immigrant Song", acoustic-based songs such as "Gallows Pole" and "That's the Way" showed Led Zeppelin were capable of playing different styles successfully. The band wrote most of the material themselves, but as with prior records, included two songs that were re-interpretations of earlier works: "Gallows Pole", based on a traditional E...nglish folk song, by way of American singer Fred Gerlach; and "Hats Off to (Roy) Harper", a reworking of a blues song by Bukka White. The acoustic material developed from a songwriting session between band members Jimmy Page and Robert Plant at Bron-Yr-Aur cottage in Wales, which influenced the musical direction. The songs were recorded in three locations. Much of the work was done at Headley Grange, a country house, using the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio. Additional sessions were held in more traditional recording studios, such as Island Studios and Olympic Studios in London. As with the prior album, the band eschewed the use of guest musicians, with all music performed by band members Page (guitars), Plant (vocals), John Paul Jones (bass, keyboards), and John Bonham (drums). The range of instruments played by the band was greatly enhanced on this album, with Jones especially emerging as a talented multi-instrumentalist, playing a wide range of keyboard and stringed instruments, including various synthesizers, mandolin and double bass, in addition to his usual bass guitar. As with prior albums, Page served as producer on the album, with mixing done by Andy Johns and Terry Manning. The album was one of the most anticipated of 1970, and its shipping date was held up by the intricate inner sleeve design based around a volvelle, with numerous images visible through holes in the outer cover. It was an immediate commercial success upon release and topped the UK and US charts. Although critics were typically confused over the change in musical style and gave the album a mixed response, Led Zeppelin III has since been acknowledged as representing an important milestone in the band's history.

On this day in 1955, Matthias Jabs of the Scorpions is born in Hannover, Germany.

On this day in 1985, Corrosion of Conformity release ‘Animosity.’